Valentine’s Delight:
The Surprising Health Perks of Chocolate

Chocolate the ‘Food of the Gods’

The ‘Food of the Gods’ is a delightful product from the cacao plant. It was called Food of the Gods because ancient civilizations believed this plant was sacred and a gift from the gods. It truly is a tasty and healthful gift.

Chocolate comes from the cacao plant, which produces pods that contain the cacao beans. The cacao beans are processed to give us the decadent chocolate we all have come to enjoy around Valentine’s Day. The world’s consumption of chocolate keeps on rising with an estimated consumption of 0.9kg per capita per year. 58 million pounds of chocolate is bought in the days leading up to Valentine’s Day, making chocolate the most popular Valentine’s gift.

Health Benefits of Chocolate

Chocolate is the proper sweet for Valentines’ Day, as the month of February is also considered American Heart Month. Chocolate contains many polyphenols that contribute to sustaining our cardiometabolic health - supporting our blood pressure and lipid levels. Other health benefits include improved cognition and potentially aging skin, the latter still debatable.

The health benefits of chocolate come mostly from the polyphenols and flavanols which provide antioxidant support, stimulating the nervous system, and improve endothelial vascular system. The polyphenols help increase blood flow to the brain and help reduce oxidative stress (antioxidant). The flavanols help induce nitric oxide which helps open your blood vessels and decrease blood pressure → opens the heart to receive all the love on Valentine’s Day.

While most of the health benefits are still debatable, we know that chocolate helps put people in a good mood. One research has found that dark chocolate (85% darkness) changes the gut microbiome. The gut has a direct connection with the brain, called the gut-brain axis. The gut is considered our second brain because the majority of neurotransmitters, like serotonin, are produced in the gut. Improved serotonin → better mood.

Choosing the right chocolate type

When choosing chocolate always go for the dark chocolate, 60% or higher. These have the most polyphenols and flavanols compared to the milk and white chocolates. If possible, avoid the chocolates with all the added ingredients that are hard to read, such as Hershey’s and others. Find yourself a local chocolatier who makes their own chocolates. Farmer’s Markets are a good place to find them.

Find and taste different varieties of chocolate - place of origin. Cacao is grown in several places around the world. Venezuelan chocolate is said to be one of the best! (Slightly biased opinion). You have Peruvian, Guatemalan, Mexican, Dominican Republic, Ethiopian, Vietnamese varieties.

Try them out and let me know which one is your favorite?

If you are getting someone chocolate for Valentine’s Day know that you are helping their cardiometabolic, cognitive, gut, and mental health.

Looking for some chocolatiers?

Here are two of my favorite chocolatiers. Not sure where or how far they may ship, but you can always ask.

• Stone Grindz Chocolate (Arizona) - small-batch, fair-trade, dairy/soy/gluten-free chocolates that are to die for! She makes some amazing chocolate truffles. Whiskey + Asian Pear Caramel was out-of-this-world! This was my go to chocolatier when I lived in Arizona.
  www.stonegrindz.com
  Instagram: @stonegrindzchocolate
  

• Stache Chocolate (Oregon) - small-batch, fair-trade, dairy-free chocolates. Chef Eric comes up with some playful and funky combinations with his chocolates, many of them made in limited quantities, possibly only one-time only. My personal favorite was a pineapple balsamic dark chocolate combination - sweet, slightly tart and savory chocolate.
  www.stachechocolate.com
  Instagram: @stachechocolate 

❤️ Happy Valentines Day! ❤️

Dr. Jorge Reveron, ND
Naturopathic Doctor

Recommended Supplements:
You can find all of my favorites high quality, doctor recommended brands in my online supplement dispensary.
Pick and choose the ones you like, and have them shipped to your house.
 🛒 Dr. Jorge’s Dispensary 
_{Note: supplements will have commonly used ranges. I cannot give specifics as that would be considered medical advice.} 

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References

Tan TYC, Lim XY, Yeo JHH, Lee SWH, Lai NM. The Health Effects of Chocolate and Cocoa: A Systematic Review. Nutrients. 2021 Aug 24;13(9):2909. doi: 10.3390/nu13092909. PMID: 34578786; PMCID: PMC8470865.

Yang J, Zhou J, Yang J, Lou H, Zhao B, Chi J, Tang W. Dark chocolate intake and cardiovascular diseases: a Mendelian randomization study. Sci Rep. 2024 Jan 10;14(1):968. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-50351-6. PMID: 38200066; PMCID: PMC10781976.

Natsume M. Polyphenols: Inflammation. Curr Pharm Des. 2018;24(2):191-202. doi: 10.2174/1381612823666171109104141. PMID: 29119920.

Murakami R, Natsume M, Ito K, Ebihara S, Terauchi M. Effect of Flavanol-Rich Cacao Extract on the Profile of Mood State in Healthy Middle-Aged Japanese Women: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Pilot Study. Nutrients. 2023 Sep 3;15(17):3843. doi: 10.3390/nu15173843. PMID: 37686875; PMCID: PMC10490061.

Matsumura Y, Kitabatake M, Kayano SI, Ito T. Dietary Phenolic Compounds: Their Health Benefits and Association with the Gut Microbiota. Antioxidants (Basel). 2023 Apr 4;12(4):880. doi: 10.3390/antiox12040880. PMID: 37107256; PMCID: PMC10135282.

Sasaki A, Mizuno K, Morito Y, Oba C, Nakamura K, Natsume M, Watanabe K, Yamano E, Watanabe Y. The effects of dark chocolate on cognitive performance during cognitively demanding tasks: A randomized, single-blinded, crossover, dose-comparison study. Heliyon. 2024 Jan 11;10(2):e24430. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e24430. PMID: 38268830; PMCID: PMC10803911.

Salaish Kumar S, Mhd Jalil AM, Hussin N, Mat Daud Z', Ismail A. Effects of flavanols and procyanidins-rich cocoa consumption on metabolic syndrome: an update review (2013 to 2023). Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 2024 Jan 29:zbae011. doi: 10.1093/bbb/zbae011. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38285609.

Shin JH, Kim CS, Cha L, Kim S, Lee S, Chae S, Chun WY, Shin DM. Consumption of 85% cocoa dark chocolate improves mood in association with gut microbial changes in healthy adults: a randomized controlled trial. J Nutr Biochem. 2022 Jan;99:108854. doi: 10.1016/j.jnutbio.2021.108854. Epub 2021 Sep 14. PMID: 34530112.